flstandardbreds Chapter 362 A man even more cunning than Sima Yi! A high-ranking official colludes with the Southern
Chapter 362 A man even more cunning than Sima Yi! A high-ranking official colludes with the Southern
Cheng Yu was very helpful.
Although Su Yu was in Ye City, Cheng Yu had already arranged a marriage for him remotely.
This was accompanied by Sinpi's surrender.
Many of Qingzhou's opportunists also surrendered at lightning speed.
For example, Wang Xiu, this old fox, was very distressed that he could only be the second person to surrender, as Xin Pi beat him to it!
……
壶关
The high-ranking official hesitated.
He had barely arrived when he heard a series of news: Yuan Xi's defeat, Shen Pei and Ju Hu's deaths, Cao Cao's capture of Ye City, and Yuan Shang's escape to the north.
High-ranking officials are not like Yuan Tan, who are idiots.
Continuing towards Ye City with only 20,000 troops would be nothing short of sending them to their deaths, a move that carries both weight and weight!
But upon returning to Jinyang, the capital of Bingzhou, Gao Gan feared that Wang Ling would bind him, cut off his head, and send it to Cao Cao.
After much deliberation, the high-ranking official hesitated to proceed.
Ultimately, they chose to stay at Huguan to observe whether to continue opposing Cao or surrender to Cao.
But what the high-ranking official didn't expect was...
Just three days later, Wang Ling sent an envoy from Jinyang to Huguan.
"General Gao, my master's meaning is very simple: you should surrender to Cao Cao as soon as possible, and you may still be able to save your life."
"Otherwise, if Cao Cao's army really attacks, how long can you hold out with this Huguan Pass?"
"The consequences of surrendering voluntarily and surrendering under duress are completely different."
The high-ranking official said angrily:
"Gao is General Yuan's nephew!"
"How could I possibly submit to Cao Cao's command?"
Seeing this, the envoy said nothing more and turned to leave Huguan.
But after the envoy left, the high-ranking official regretted his decision.
Actually, he wanted to wait for a higher price to sell.
Gao Gan was definitely a loyal subject to Yuan Shao.
After all, he was Yuan Shao's nephew.
His mother was Yuan Shao's younger sister.
Yuan Shao treated Gao Gan like his own sons.
But Yuan Shao was no longer alive, and it was clear that none of Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, or Yuan Xi were reliable.
Continuing to serve the Yuan family is a dead end.
however.
Gao Gan didn't want to just do nothing and directly surrender to Cao Cao.
During Yuan Shao's reign, he served as the governor of Bingzhou. Although Wang Ling and others shared power with him, he was still considered to hold a high position and great influence.
After surrendering to Cao Cao, the best outcome would be becoming a wealthy man.
In this lifetime, I have completely severed all ties with power.
From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.
The high-ranking officials really didn't want to give up the power they already had.
Call him out of touch with reality or unrealistic.
In short, the high-ranking official has become obsessed.
For the next few days, he locked himself in his room, racking his brains, but still couldn't come up with a decision.
Suddenly, another messenger arrived at Huguan.
Gao Gan assumed that Wang Ling was pressuring him to surrender again, and ordered the envoy to be driven away.
The envoy, however, was dressed in the attire of a foreign race.
"General Gao, I have come here on the orders of the Left Wise King."
"Please, you must grant me an audience!"
Upon hearing this, the high-ranking official's expression changed drastically.
But he immediately sent someone to invite the envoy up, dismissed his attendants, and met with him alone.
"Your Left Wise King and I are enemies, so why would you suddenly be sent to Huguan?"
The high-ranking official sized up the envoy, his gaze anything but friendly.
The envoy, however, was completely unafraid and laughed:
"General Gao is joking."
"Our Left Wise King has always admired Han culture."
"You Han people have a good saying."
There are no permanent friends, nor permanent enemies!
"General Gao seems to really need the help of the Southern Xiongnu right now!"
Upon hearing this, the high-ranking official said with a tense expression:
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"Internal wars among the Han Chinese are a matter for the Han Chinese themselves."
"What does this have to do with you Southern Xiongnu?"
The Southern Xiongnu were formerly known as the Xiongnu.
In the early Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu split into the Northern Xiongnu and the Southern Xiongnu.
The Northern Xiongnu went to Central Asia to expand their territory.
The Southern Xiongnu inherited a portion of the territory left behind by the original Xiongnu.
Why was only a portion inherited?
Because in addition to the Northern and Southern Xiongnu, the neighboring Xianbei tribes were also gradually becoming stronger and occupying a considerable amount of Xiongnu territory.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu and Bingzhou, which was under the rule of the Han court, fought continuously, but the Southern Xiongnu were generally defeated.
Until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as the Han court gradually declined, the Southern Xiongnu also began to harbor ambitions.
Yunzhong Commandery, Xihe Commandery, and other commanderies close to the Southern Xiongnu were successively annexed by the Southern Xiongnu.
However, after Yuan Shao occupied Bingzhou, he forced the Southern Xiongnu to relinquish their existing territory.
Huchuquan, the current Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu, was very dissatisfied with this.
However, due to Yuan Shao's powerful fist, Hu Chuquan had no choice but to bow his head and submit.
Yuan Shao is no longer alive.
The Southern Xiongnu did not have a clear understanding of Cao Cao's true strength.
However, the radical faction, led by Liu Bao, the Left Wise King, believed that now was the perfect time to seize Bingzhou!
The Left Wise King and the Right Wise King were two important positions within the Southern Xiongnu, second only to the Chanyu!
At the same time, Liu Bao, the Left Wise King, was very fond of Han culture.
In his words:
We, the Southern Xiongnu, should not cling to our old ways; we should use the methods of the Han people to defeat them!
Therefore, Liu Bao suggested that they try to win over high-ranking officials.
Under the pretext of sending troops to support Gao Gan, they invaded Bingzhou!
To be honest, Liu Bao is an ultimate cunning strategist who is a hundred times more treacherous than Sima Yi!
Why do you say that?
Because Liu Bao is the only person in the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period whose age is recorded in historical documents as being over 100 years old!
He was born before the Yellow Turban Rebellion and died on the eve of Sima Yan's unification of Eastern Wu!
Later, his son Liu Yuan established the "Han Zhao" regime, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, on his foundation, and completely occupied Bingzhou, moving the capital from the grasslands to Jinyang.
But in essence, this regime was just a Xiongnu regime disguised as a "Han" regime.
but.
This also shows that Liu Bao is really good at hiding!
During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, many talented people and powerful figures emerged.
Liu Bao dared not confront him (perhaps because he was afraid of being defeated by Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Cao Rui).
After the Western Jin Dynasty, Han heroes died out, and the Xiongnu became the dominant force.
And this moment.
Faced with Liu Bao's envoy's attempts to win him over, Gao Gan hesitated.
This slight hesitation was keenly caught by Liu Bao's envoy.
"Don't worry, General Gao, Bingzhou will still be yours in the future."
"We, the Southern Xiongnu, only hope to obtain some grain and supplies."
"Besides, without the help of my Southern Xiongnu, how could General Gao's pitiful army possibly be a match for Cao Cao?"
"Now that we've come to this point, the decision is up to you, General Gao."
Having said that, the Southern Xiongnu envoy was not in a hurry and waited patiently for Gao Gan to make a judgment.
In an instant, many thoughts raced through the high-ranking official's mind.
But in the end, he remembered Wang Ling's betrayal and realized that he was very likely to be imprisoned by Cao Cao and live a boring life in darkness!
“Gao knew what to do.”
"Please urge the Great Chanyu and the Left and Right Wise Kings to send troops as soon as possible after you return!"
"As it should be."
The Southern Xiongnu envoy smiled and took his leave, thinking to himself:
"If Yuan Shao were still alive and knew what you've done today, I wonder if he would slap you to death!"
……