The year 196 was a watershed for the founders of the three countries.
In this year, Sun Ce won the three counties of Jiangdong.
Cao Cao welcomed the emperor into the Xu capital and began to hold the Son of Heaven hostage to order the vassals.
And Liu Bei?
He had just taken Xuzhou the previous year, but he was driven out of Xia Bing by Lü Bu's sneak attack, and he lost his first hand in the future Three Kingdoms hegemony, and the imperial uncle would have to stay up for a long time to truly have his own foundation.
Among the three, Sun Ce is the youngest, brave and combative, and even more powerful, politically more sleek and mature than his father Sun Jianlai.
Although sitting in three counties (Yuan Yinkong has the name of Danyang Taishou, and the real power is actually in the hands of Sun Ce), Sun Ce has always been obedient to Yuan Shu and constantly tolerated in the face of Yuan Shu's tricks, such as
1. Arrange Yuan Yin to serve as Danyang Taishou (Yuan Shu sent his younger brother Yin to replace Shang as Taishou)
2, Zhou Shang and Zhou Yu of the Lujiang Zhou family were recalled to Shouchun (and Yu and Shang returned to Shouchun), Yuan Shu also saw that Zhou Yu was a talent, and wanted to win over Zhou Yu (Shu wanted to take Yu as the general) but Zhou Yu despised Yuan Shu very much, and only asked to be the magistrate of Juchao County (Yuguanshu had no success in the end, so he asked to be the head of the nest, and wanted to pretend to return to the east and listen to it. So he lived in the nest and returned to Wu)
Don't say that these children of the family are too fine, you see how well this location is chosen, it is on the riverside, when the time comes, it will be easy to throw Sun Ce in the south, or take over the Jiangdong army to the north.
In addition, Sun Ce also sent Wu Jing and Sun Bian back to Yuan Shu to help them negotiate.
Why should Sun Ce be so good to Yuan Shu?
In fact, he is all helping himself.
Let's take a look at the location of Yuan Shu and Sun Ce.
Yuan Shu can help Sun Ce block the strong enemy in the north in Jiangbei, and Sun Ce can comfortably attack Yuzhang, and then fight Jingzhou with Liu Vote!
Just when Sun Ce was asking for Jiangdong, what was Liu Qiu doing?
After Sun Ce captured the city of Moling, Liu Tu led his troops from Dantu to board a boat and go up the river and landed in Pengze County, Yuzhang, at the mouth of Poyang Lake.
Yuzhang County has a deep heritage, and its population is more than the three counties of Jiangdong combined! In the proper county of Yangzhou, all warlords are fighting the idea of Yuzhang County.
Liu Biao of Jingzhou, Yuan Shu of Huainan, and the imperial court were involved in this dispute.
Yuan Shu's chosen agent was none other than Zhuge Liang's uncle Zhuge Xuan.
Zhuge Xuan was originally a subordinate of Liu Biao and was sent to the imperial court on the orders of Liu Biao. Before departure, he learned that his cousin Zhuge Ju (彖州太山郡丞) had died of illness, so he asked Liu Biao to go to Mount Tai to take care of Zhuge Gui's widow and children after completing his mission.
After entering Xuzhou, Cao Cao sent troops to Xuzhou to conquer Tao Qian, and in order to avoid the calamity of war, Zhuge Xuan took Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jun and two nieces, and scattered with Zhuge Jin who was going to Jiangdong, and fled to the Lujiang area.
How fortunate it is to have such a good uncle in troubled times.
Of course, we must also admit that people are complicated, and Zhuge Xuan takes great care of the people of his own family, but in the eyes of the imperial court, he is a chaotic subject and thief, how can you fight with the official Taishou appointed by the imperial court?
Including Wang Lang and Hua Xin in the character biography to be written later, they were once loyal to the Han family, and Wang Lang even staged a good show of fleeing thousands of miles and preferring to die than surrender to Sun Ce, but what later?
What were they doing when Cao Wei usurped the Han dynasty?
One became Sikong, the other became Situ, promoted to the third duke, and held a high position.
After arriving in Huainan, Yuan Shu admired his name and left Zhuge Xuan.
Yuzhang Taishou Zhou Shu died of illness, and Yuan Shu quickly recommended Zhuge Xuan as Yuzhang Taishou, and asked him to lead troops into Yuzhang's county rule Nanchang City.
After the imperial court learned the news, it also sent a new Taishou: Zhu Hao (Han Dynasty Wen Zhou Shu died, sent Hao to replace Xuan)
Zhu Hao's father is the famous general Zhu Ru who is begging for the Yellow Turban and has a great reputation, but Nanchang has been occupied by Zhuge Xuan one step ahead, and Zhu Hao has no choice but to ask the neighboring Liu Xuan for help.
With the help of Liu Xuan, Zhu Hao successfully defeated Zhuge Xuan and entered Nanchang (Hao assassinated Liu Xuan from Yangzhou to ask for troops to attack Xuan, Xuan retreated to Tunxicheng, and Hao entered Nanchang)
After Zhuge Xuantun lived in Xicheng, he re-contacted the old leader Liu Biao, and had previously introduced Zhuge Xuan as Liu Biao's subordinate, and now Zhuge Xuan returned to Liu Biao's camp, and Liu Biao also wrote to the imperial court to recommend Zhuge Xuan as the Taishou of Yuzhang, and at the same time took Zhuge Liang's brothers to Jingzhou to settle down, relieving Zhuge Xuan's worries.
Just when Zhuge Xuan was actively preparing for war, fierce battles broke out in Nanchang City.
The one Liu Tun sent to reinforce Zhu Hao was the previously notorious Zhu Rong (繇幯Peng Ze, and made Rong Zhu Hao ask Liu Biao to use Taishou Zhuge Xuan)
Xu Shao advised Liu Hao to remind Zhu Hao to pay attention to guarding against Jirong (Xu Shao took the army to melt out, regardless of the name. Zhu Haoshan recommended sincerity and trust, and it was advisable to make secret defense) because he killed Zhao Yu, the Taishou who received him graciously, and annexed his army in Guangling, see this article for details: Who is Sun Ce's biggest enemy in Jiangdong? (The most powerful Han family member of the Three Kingdoms is actually the Donglai Liu family)
It's just that Liu Huan believes that he can control Zhu Rong, and his hand is soft, and he pitted Zhu Hao (Later Rong, decisively killed Hao, acting consul county affairs)
Liu Xuan was furious after receiving the news!
He regrouped his army and attacked Jirong, and after losing the first battle, Liu Xuan soon gathered the men and horses of his counties again, and finally defeated Jirong and recaptured Nanchang City. After fleeing into the mountains, Jirong was killed by the mountain people and gave the first rank to Liu Qi.
The Sun Liu duel is about to start again!