After Cao Pi left Xudu, Cao Chong was also preparing to go to Qingzhou to serve as governor. The political situation of Cao Wei was relatively stable, and the world also entered a period of stability. All princes began to stick to their homelands and recuperate, and the world had a tendency to return to peace. All knowledgeable people in the world know that this is the calm before the storm. After the princes of all walks of life recuperate, there will be greater slaughter. On a high mountain near Jianning County in Nanzhong, Sun Quan was summoning Lu Meng to discuss the future strategic direction of Sun's army. "Ziming, what have the powerful men in Jianning County done recently?" Sun Quan was eating wild fruits in the cave and asked Lu Meng. Since Sun Quan retreated from Guilin to Nanzhong, Sun Quan has become a veritable king of the mountain. The powerful people in Jianning County were on guard against Sun Quan, and many powerful people wanted to deal with Sun Quan. However, because Sun Quan still had 30,000 troops and a large amount of baggage in his hands, the powerful people were wary. After Sun Quan retreated to Nanzhong, he stationed himself on a large mountain near Jianning County. Sun Quan changed the name of the mountain to Wuyue Mountain, and the highest point of the mountain was Goujian Ridge to warn himself of the shame of losing Jiangdong. The powerful Han people in the Southern Barbarians were afraid that Sun Quan would change the name of the mountain and gather heavy troops. He appealed to Liu Zhang, the herdsman of Yizhou, many times, hoping that Liu Zhang would send troops to destroy Sun Quan, but Liu Zhang never responded. "Reporting to my lord, Yong Kai, Gao Ding and Zhu Bao from Jianning have been hunting rare animals outside the city recently and are preparing to donate them to Liu Zhang. I heard that as long as someone can capture the rare animals, Jianning County is willing to pay a high price to buy them. ." Lu Meng bowed his hand and reported to Sun Quan. "Ziming, what is the purpose of Jianning County's recent actions?" "My lord, in the opinion of my subordinates, this is a bluff by Jianning County. It is mainly to remind our army that they are still Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang's "Subordinates, don't send troops easily, otherwise Yizhou Mu will not sit idly by." Lu Meng speculated that this was a farce caused by Jianning County to protect itself. After all, Sun Quan's 30,000 soldiers made Jianning quite powerful. For fear. "Remind our army? Huh, as long as our army forms an alliance with the Southern Barbarian King, Jianning County is in my pocket, Sun Quan. How can Liu Zhang control it?" Sun Quan smiled slightly, and he had already sent someone to propose marriage to the Southern Barbarian King Meng Fa. As long as he marries the Southern Barbarian King, Jianning will be in his pocket. "By the way, Ziming, do you think this marriage can be successful?" Sun Quan thought of his unruly girl. A sharp pain in my head. This sister of mine is Sun Xiaomei, also known as Sun Shangxiang in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Sun Xiaomei has been favored by Sun Jian and Mrs. Wu since she was a child. She is not afraid of anything, and even Sun Quan does not look down on her. Especially for this marriage, Sun Xiaomei said that she could go and see the son of the Southern Barbarian King. If it doesn't suit your heart, forget it. If it suits your heart, you can get married. If Sun Quan forces himself, Sun Xiaomei will not guarantee that he will do anything extraordinary. Something out of the ordinary! Hearing these five words, Sun Quan's head got big. Sun Xiaomei's outrageous things often brought big trouble to Sun Quan. So Sun Quan sent Lu Xun as an envoy to look at Sun Xiaomei. If Sun Xiaomei is not willing to marry, forget it. You can see if there are any suitable children among the Southern Barbarians, and you can get yourself a wife. My younger sister can't get married, so I can try it myself. "Don't worry, my lord, Boyan is the head of the Lu family. He can succeed as head of the family at a young age. His strength should not be underestimated. Moreover, the governor also thought highly of Boyan during his lifetime." Lu Meng smiled. Lu Xun was not as resourceful as him. If even a marriage cannot be resolved, then it is not Koto Junjie. "Well, Gong Jin made a good start for us in Guilin County. We must seize the opportunity in Nanzhong to expand our power and compete with Cao Cao again." Sun Quan thought of Zhou Yu who died in Guilin County, although Zhou Yu was not Be completely true to yourself. But it can be considered that he has done his best for the Sun family. "Please rest assured, my lord, the general will definitely train elite soldiers. The barbarian soldiers here in the Southern Barbarians are stronger and stronger than the ordinary soldiers in the Central Plains. The general will definitely be able to train more Jiefan troops to serve our lord." "Oh? That's really God's help for me. Zi Ming will train his troops immediately. If you need anything, I will give you your full support." When Sun Quan heard Lu Meng's words, his eyes lit up. If he could train more Jie Fan Army, his strength would be great. Yizhou was annexed. "Promise!" One month later, Liu Zhang was summoning his eldest son Liu Xun in the Chengdu Prefecture. "Father!" "Well, Xun'er is here, sit down." Liu Zhang saw his eldest son, nodded happily, and asked Liu Xun to sit down. "Thank you, father!" "Xun'er, do you know why my father called you here?" "Father, is it for Sun Quan's affairs in the south?" Liu Xun is the eldest son of Liu Zhang. He is the best in Sichuan in martial arts and martial arts, and is particularly popular among the people. Liu Zhang loved him, and Liu Zhang was determined to pass his state animal husbandry to Liu Xun. "Yes, the general trend of the world is gradually changing."Lang, if our army wants to stick to Shuzhong, Sun Quan in the south will be the biggest threat. "Liu Zhang took out a map of Xichuan, with Liu Zhang's annotations on it. There is Hanzhong in the north. Although Zhang Lu has a grudge against him, Cao Cao is still in the north to contain it, which is not enough evidence. Jingzhou has just been pacified by Cao Cao. Cao Cao's After the battle in Guilin County, the naval army was basically wiped out. There was no threat to Dongchuan in the short term. Even if Cao Cao raised troops to attack, Shangyong and Yong'an were attacking and defending each other. Cao Cao could not easily capture Nanzhong except Nanman. In addition, there are powerful forces in Jianning and other places. Originally, the two forces restrained each other, and Liu Zhang's mediation was the basis for maintaining Xichuan. However, after Sun Quan entered Nanzhong, this balance would soon be broken. " What does my father mean by saying that Sun Quan might annex Nanzhong and then attack Bashu? "Liu Xun saw Liu Zhang's instructions and quickly understood his father's thoughts. "It's not possible, but it's certain. Sun Quan will take control of Jiangdong with a weak crown, pacify Dongyue, and conquer all the barbarians. Which thing didn't he do in an orderly manner? If it hadn't been for the more powerful Cao Cao, I'm afraid Jiangdong would have unified the south of the Yangtze River by now. "Although Liu Zhang is a city-defending king, his knowledge and strategy are not inferior to those of the princes in the world. They are only limited by objective conditions. Otherwise, Liu Zhang would have the possibility of unifying the world. "Father, you mean that Sun Quan will send troops soon to pacify the country. Jianning, and then send troops to Bashu? But we have just established a foothold in Xichuan. If Sun Quan uses troops, I'm afraid "Liu Xun listened to Liu Zhang's words and couldn't help but worry about the safety of Shu. Could it be that the efforts of three generations would be snatched away by Sun Quan? Starting from Liu Yan, the Liu family has been the ruler of Shu. But like Liu Biao in Jingzhou, , The Liu family also has many constraints in Shu. The constraints of the aristocratic families, the constraints of the local powerful, and the constraints of the leading generals all threaten the Liu family's rule. After many years of governance, Liu Yan and Liu Zhang can finally control it. The overall situation in Shu is great, but if a strong enemy like Sun Quan invades now, Liu's efforts may be in vain. "Xun'er is very smart. Being able to see the overall situation clearly, my father decided to send people to Nanzhong to appease Sun Quan. At the same time, Xun'er led the troops and followed closely behind my father's envoy. As long as Sun Quan slacked off a little, we would send troops to destroy Sun Quan. "Liu Zhang pointed to the map in the guide and issued a military order to Liu Xun. "What does father mean by using the wealthy families in Jianning to fight against Sun Quan? "Liu Xun quickly understood Liu Zhang's plan, and built a plank road openly and secretly to attack Chencang! "Yes, the wealthy families in Jianning will definitely not allow outsiders to interfere with their power in Nanzhong. The barbarians in Nanzhong may attach themselves to Sun Quan, but Jianning The wealthy families will not. As long as we suddenly send troops, it is not impossible to deal with Sun Quan. " "but. Father, I still have a doubt. If our army cannot defeat Sun Quan, but Sun Quan takes the opportunity to move north, then our army? "Liu Xun is also worried. The number of troops that can be transferred to the south in Shu is now only 30,000, which is equivalent to Sun Quan's strength. If Sun Quan cannot be defeated, then Shu will be in crisis. "What are you afraid of? At worst, our father and son should surrender. "Liu Zhang smiled slightly and patted Liu Xun. "Father? surrender? "Liu Xun was stunned for a moment. His father was going to give Shuzhong to Sun Quan if he couldn't defeat him! "Xun'er, you should understand that neither you nor I can help the country in this troubled world. Shuzhong is only temporarily here. In the hands of you and me, father and son, it would be good to be able to separate one side and dominate it. But the general trend is that you and I, father and son, should save our lives first! The power of the Han Dynasty has disappeared, how can the clan be spared? If not, my father would not abandon Youzhou and defend Xichuan. "Liu Zhang shook his head. He explained to Liu Xun the strategy Liu Yan had set for his father and son. "So that's it. Grandpa is very farsighted, which is incomparable to Xun'er. "After listening to Liu Zhang's words, Liu Xun suddenly realized that Liu Yan was very clear about the situation of the Han Dynasty and the strength of Liu Zhang and his son. They were by no means able to calm down the troubled times. In order to protect his own blood, Liu Yan chose to guard Yizhou. Mission. Liu Yan was so prosperous in Youzhou back then, sweeping away the Yellow Turbans and pacifying the barbarians. Even the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang were subordinates. Why did Liu Yan agree to leave Youzhou and come to Yizhou? He had seen the situation clearly. That's why he chose a life-saving strategy. Now it seems that Liu Yan's strategy was very successful. At least Liu Yu who owned the Youzhou Iron Cavalry and Liu Biao of the Jingzhou Navy were destroyed one by one. Only his own Xichuan was still intact. Now that the father and son have the big cake of Xichuan, they can enjoy their old age and maintain their wealth by surrendering to any prince. "Xun'er, if you understand, I will leave this matter to you. Although our father and son are mainly focused on protecting our lives, our country is not." We will not hand it over easily. Let the princes of the world see the strength of our father and son. "Liu Zhang patted Liu Xun and had high hopes. Even if he wants to surrender, he must be a person that his opponents admire, otherwise surrender will be of little value.  "Father, don't worry, the child understands!" Xichuan is full of conspiracies, and Jizhou in the north also hides a huge conspiracy in its tranquility. In Pingyuan Prefecture, Liu Bei and Pang Tong were drinking in the pavilion in the courtyard. "My lord, now that my lord is able to return to his hometown, recruit troops, and gradually recover his strength, why is my lord still not happy?" Pang Tong took a long drink from his gourd. "Don't Shi Yuan know that Bei Zhi is worried? Yuan Xi transferred Bei Zhi's civil and military personnel to the north, and even the military advisers also went to the north. Gongsun Kang was destroyed, and his troops were sent to Wuhuan. Yuan Xi's power became stronger and stronger. Although I The military strength gradually recovered, but it was not as strong as Yuan Xi's power." Liu Bei took a sip of wine. How could he not be worried about this situation? "Hahahaha, don't worry, my lord. Kong Ming and the generals are my lord's confidants, and they will definitely not betray my lord. The greater their achievements, the greater the lord's power. Moreover, Yuan Xi is powerful on the surface, but in fact he is at the end of his tether. Yuan Xi Xi's main force is retained by Yuan Shao, how can it be compared with the lord's newly recruited soldiers? The lord's morals are much higher than Yuan Xi's, and he is afraid that he will not be able to replace him in the future." Pang Tong smiled, Liu Bei's worries were unnecessary. Liu Bei raised troops in Hebei, and his reputation in Hebei was much higher than that of Yuan Xi. Although Yuan Xi took over Yuan Shao's old ministry, he was just a balanced person. What's more important is that the main force of Yuan Xi's army are veterans in their forties, while Liu Bei's new army is all young men under twenty. In a few years, Liu Bei's advantages will become obvious. "Does the military advisor not know that Yuan Xi is also training the new army?" "Does the lord not know that Yuan Xi's new army is not more than our new army?" Liu Bei raised the issue that Yuan Xi would also recruit new troops. Pang Tong pointed out that the number of Yuan Xi's new troops was It's not as good as Liu Bei's new army to answer Liu Bei. "My lord, it is easy to replace soldiers in times of trouble, but it is difficult to recruit new soldiers in troubled times!" Pang Tong then pointed out the biggest advantage between Liu Bei and Yuan Xi. Liu Bei has a light load and no burden, but Yuan Xi is a person with heavy responsibilities. In troubled times, people will struggle for survival. In peaceful times, it is easy to replace old and new soldiers. Because of the country's good policies, many soldiers want to retire early. But things are different in troubled times. National welfare is gone. In order to maintain combat effectiveness, princes from all walks of life will spend their financial resources on active sergeants. Of course, retired veterans will have no welfare. Therefore, sergeants in troubled times will desperately extend their service years and leave something for their descendants and families. Although Yuan Xi's army is large, most of them are middle-aged soldiers. Yuan Xi couldn't lay off everyone in one sentence, otherwise Yuan Xi would be killed by the soldiers without Liu Bei taking action. Raising troops and replacing old ones with new ones requires a lot of financial resources. This is not only a problem faced by Yuan Xi, but also faced by all princes in the world except Liu Bei. Although Liu Bei was crippled by Cao Cao, he had no burden and could easily rise again. "After listening to the military advisor's words, Bei suddenly understood. However, Yuan Xi has always been the son of Yuan Shao, and he also has many forces in Hebei. If we fight head-on with him, I am afraid we will take advantage of Cao Cao." Liu Bei admitted that Pang Tong was right. It makes sense, but by then there will be two heroes in Hebei. When two tigers fight, one of them will be injured. "Don't worry, my lord, when we arrive in Hebei, I will confirm Kong Ming's speculation that Hebei will definitely belong to the lord!" Pang Tong vowed to Liu Bei that Hebei will definitely belong to Liu Bei in the future. "Please give me some advice from Shi Yuan?" Liu Bei was stunned for a moment. Why did Shi Yuan avoid his question? "My lord, can you know the appearance of a scholar? And can you predict a person's lifespan?" Pang Tong answered Liu Bei calmly, with a hint of desolation in his words. "What? Can Shi Yuan predict a person's lifespan?" Liu Bei was stunned for a moment, Pang Tong actually had this ability? "Shi Yuan is joking." Liu Bei smiled slightly. He never believed in fate, only himself. "In that case, what about Shi Yuan's life span? What is Yuan Xi's life span?" Liu Bei thought Pang Tong was joking, so he naturally responded with a joke. "My lord Dafu and my young lord Dafu are both long-lived people. Yuan Xi's life is poor and he will die in the next few years. When the time comes, the lord of Hebei will be young, and the lord will be able to control Hebei." Pang Tong answered Liu Bei with an arched hand. "I hope so because of Yuan Ji's words!" Liu Bei shook his head. Maybe Pang Tong was drunk and even said such words. Liu Bei then made an excuse and left. Looking at Liu Bei's figure, Pang Tong shook his head. Liu Bei actually didn't believe him. But if you think about it carefully, if you even doubt yourself about such a mysterious thing, how can Liu Bei believe it? Pang Tongyi staggered back to his study and took out a bamboo slip from the study. There are four words written on it: Book of Destiny! Pang Tong got this strange book by chance. It records the laws of time and life of all things, and he can infer the lifespan of all things through its appearance. Pang Tong didn't believe this weird thing at all.??, but after many experiments, what is said in this book is correct, especially in inferring a person's lifespan based on a person's face and complexion. "Impossible, I, Pang Shiyuan, am not a short-lived person. I still want to assist the lord and achieve hegemony!" Pang Tong put the Book of Destiny back in the cabinet, came to the bronze mirror, and screamed like crazy. He never believed in fate, only believed in fate. strength! PS: I will update on Friday, and prepare new books in the rest of the time. Thank you for your great support.