Chapter 451: Trouble in Youzhou

"Moreover, Gongsun Zan has already integrated the one-hundred-thousand-strong army of Liaodong Commandery; currently, he has an army of sixty thousand and is planning to attack the eastern Xuantu Commandery and Lelang Commandery!"

After Tai'a finished saying this in a deep voice to Liu Bian, he looked at Liu Bian with a solemn expression.

"Hmph!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian let out a cold snort and said in great anger:

"How dare Gongsun Zan do this?"

"Just by relying on the few tens of thousands of troops in his hands, he dares to openly resist the imperial court; he is courting death!"

Seeing Liu Bian in great anger, Tai'a said cautiously:

"Your Majesty, Gongsun Zan is using the pretext of a Xianbei invasion to support Liaodong Commandery!"

"Hmph! The excuse Gongsun Zan found is too poor!"

"Would Kebineng of the Xianbei dare to attack Liaodong Commandery at this time?"

After listening to Tai'a's words, Liu Bian sneered and said with disdain.

At this time, Liu Bian already controlled seven provinces of the Han.

If Kebineng had even a bit of brains, he would not choose to attack Liaodong Commandery at this time.

This clearly showed that it was an excuse Gongsun Zan had found.

He simply wanted to seize Youzhou while Liu Yu was returning to the capital.

Subsequently, he asked Tai'a:

"Where is Youzhou Inspector Shen Pei now?"

Upon hearing this, Tai'a immediately responded respectfully to Liu Bian:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Youzhou Inspector Shen Pei has already arrived in Zhuojun, Youzhou; in one more day, he will be able to reach the Youzhou seat of government, Ji County."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian nodded.

It seemed that the speed of Shen Pei's group was quite fast; in just five days, they had arrived in Zhuojun, Youzhou.

"What about General Who Crushes the Wuhuan Yan Rou, whom I conferred? Has he received my imperial edict!"

Tai'a, upon hearing this, immediately replied respectfully to Liu Bian:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, General Yan Rou received Your Majesty's imperial edict of appointment two days ago."

"After receiving the news of the rebellion in Liaoxi yesterday, he has already assembled the fifty-thousand-strong army of Youzhou and is planning to go on a punitive expedition against Gongsun Zan."

"Immediately send a message to the Dark Guards in Ji County, telling Yan Rou to wait for Shen Pei in Ji County first."

"By the way, also notify Shen Pei, telling him to rush to Ji County overnight to rendezvous with Yan Rou."

"At that time, the two of them will go together to launch a punitive expedition against Gongsun Zan."

"As for Xuantu Commandery and Lelang Commandery, they are right next to Liaodong Commandery; if one wants to send troops from Ji County, Youbeiping and Liaoxi Commanderies are still in between, so these two commanderies cannot be saved!"

"With the fifty-thousand-strong army assembled by Yan Rou, plus the two hundred personal guards with the strength of second-rate martial generals that Shen Pei brought with him, they will certainly be able to withstand Gongsun Zan's army."

Thinking of the current situation in Youzhou, Liu Bian immediately said to Tai'a in a deep voice.

"This subject obeys the decree!"

Tai'a immediately bowed and responded to Liu Bian.

He immediately conveyed Liu Bian's order to the Dark Guards in Youzhou through his identity jade token.

After Tai'a conveyed the message, Liu Bian said to him solemnly:

"Immediately notify the Cabinet and the Six Ministers, the commanders of the Six Great Legions, and the high-ranking generals to come to the Imperial Study for a meeting!"

Upon hearing this, Tai'a immediately responded respectfully to Liu Bian:

"This subject obeys the decree!"

And after Liu Bian finished speaking to Tai'a, he waited in the Imperial Study.

By the way, he was thinking about which legion to send to suppress the rebellion this time.

And at this time, Shen Pei, who was in Zhuojun, also received Tai'a's message.

After reading it, Shen Pei was also in great anger.

"Gongsun Zan, I, this inspector, actually regarded you as a hero!"

"I never expected that you would actually be a rebel traitor."

"Truly damnable!"

After cursing Gongsun Zan, Shen Pei immediately shouted to his personal guards:

"Someone, go tell Captain You Quan to assemble the troops quickly; something has happened in Liaoxi Commandery, and we must rush to Ji County overnight!"

Following Shen Pei's urgent words, the personal guard team of over two hundred men immediately assembled and took Shen Pei to Ji County overnight.

It was fortunate that Shen Pei and the others had all cultivated; otherwise, with such an intensity of marching speed, ordinary soldiers would have long since been unable to bear it.

In Shen Pei's accompanying team, Liu Bian had arranged for him a personal guard captain with the strength of the Postnatal First Layer, two deputy captains at the Divine General realm, two centurions with the strength of first-rate martial generals, and the other personal guards all had the strength of second-rate martial generals.

And the You Quan whom Shen Pei called was the name of his personal guard captain.

These were all personal guards Liu Bian had specially selected for the provincial inspectors from Zhang Liao's original Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry.

At that time, Zhang Liao had complained for a long time.

Zhang Liao had originally intended to incorporate these people directly into his Xuanwu Legion.

Time returns to two days ago.

Youzhou, inside the Prefect's Mansion of Liaoxi Commandery.

"My Lord, Liu Yu has been in the capital for so long, and I, this subordinate, have heard that that old scoundrel Liu Yu was kept in Luoyang by the little emperor Liu Bian under some excuse."

"We cannot just watch and do nothing!"

"Such a heaven-sent opportunity is the best time for us to wipe out Liu Yu's subordinates in one fell swoop and occupy Youzhou!"

At this time, Gongsun Zan's top general, Yan Gang, said urgently to Gongsun Zan.

Yan Gang was the commander of Gongsun Zan's ace unit, the White Horse Volunteers.

He was Gongsun Zan's true trusted general.

Upon hearing this, a look of being moved appeared on Gongsun Zan's face.

However, it was quickly suppressed by him, and he said solemnly to Yan Gang:

"I, this general, am a minister of the Han; how can I send troops to attack Youzhou!"

"Hehehe, My Lord, this is not called attacking; this is called supporting!"

At this time, just as Gongsun Zan's righteous words fell, the middle-aged scholar sitting in the first seat on the left-hand side below Gongsun Zan slowly spoke.

"Oh, I wonder what Mr. Guan means by support?"

Seeing that it was his chief strategist Guan Jing who spoke, Gongsun Zan asked him with doubt.

And Guan Jing, upon seeing Gongsun Zan's inquiry, smiled slightly at everyone, then stroked his sparse beard with one hand, shook his head, and said:

"My Lord, fellow colleagues, I believe everyone knows that Liu Yu has always treated foreign tribes with a gentle approach."

"Now, the foreign tribes are dissatisfied with Liu Yu's conditions and have seized the opportunity to send troops to plunder Liaodong Commandery."

"And Inspector Liu is far away in the capital of Luoyang; in order to prevent the foreign tribes from slaughtering the commoners of my Han Empire, we should also send troops to support!"

"And we are very close to Liaodong Commandery; by propriety, we should even more so send troops to support Liaodong Commandery."

"Thus, by reason and by propriety, we should send troops to support Liaodong Commandery!"

Guan Jing finished explaining his thoughts to everyone with pride.

"Hahaha, My Lord, what Lord Guan said is extremely correct; we should send troops to support Liaodong Commandery!"

Following Guan Jing's words, Yan Gang, from the martial general side, said excitedly.

At this time, he also understood Guan Jing's intention.

In this way, didn't they have a reason to send troops? ===== CHAPTER 452 =====